The Denver Broncos are bolstering their offensive line depth following the loss of starting center Luke Wattenberg, signing veteran Sam Mustipher off the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad, per multiple reports.
Wattenberg was placed on injured reserve Thursday after suffering a shoulder injury earlier in the week. The move sidelines him for at least four games, meaning the earliest he could return would be the AFC Championship Game if Denver advances that far. It’s a major blow to an offensive line that had started to hit its stride late in the season.
Wattenberg, who signed a four-year, $48 million extension in November, started all 15 gAames this year and allowed just 13 pressures across more than 1,000 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. “Good, young player, and it’s important to keep those guys in your building,” head coach Sean Payton said earlier this season about the center’s reliability.
In the meantime, Alex Forsyth will continue to start at center. The 2023 seventh-round pick drew praise from Payton and quarterback Bo Nix after his strong performance in Denver’s Christmas night win over Kansas City, where he allowed zero sacks or pressures and earned a game ball.
Mustipher, 29, gives the Broncos an experienced insurance option behind Forsyth. The 6-foot-3, 306-pound lineman has appeared in 64 career games with 43 starts, spending most of his career with the Chicago Bears before stints in Baltimore, Denver, and Los Angeles. He briefly spent the 2024 offseason with the Broncos, making this a familiar reunion.
Denver waived guard Calvin Throckmorton to make room for Mustipher on the 53-man roster. The move not only shores up the Broncos’ depth down the stretch but also adds an extra layer of intrigue ahead of their Week 18 showdown — fittingly, against Mustipher’s former team, the Chargers.